GREAT WAVE. 51 



chored at a depth of 36 feet, they were for some 

 minutes aground. The gi-eat wave must have 

 travelled slowly, for the inhabitants of Talcahuano 

 had time to run up the hills behind the town ; and 

 some sailors pulled out seawai'd, trusting success- 

 fully to their boat riding securely over the swell, 

 if they could reach it before it broke. One old 

 woman with a little boy, four or five years old, ran 

 into a boat, but there was nobody to row it out : 

 the boat was consequently dashed against an an- 

 chor and cut in twain ; the old woman was drown- 

 ed, but the child was picked up some hours after- 

 wards clinging to the wreck. Pools of salt water 

 were still standing amidst the ruins of the houses, 

 and children, mailing boats with old tables and 

 chairs, appeared as happy as their parents were 

 miserable. It was, however, exceedingly interest- 

 ing to observe how much more active and cheerful 

 all appeared than could have been expected. It 

 was remarked with much truth, that from the de- 

 struction being universal, no one individual was 

 humbled more than another, or could suspect his 

 friends of coldness — that most grievous result of 

 the loss of wealth. Mr. Rouse, and a large party 

 which he kindly took under his protection, lived 

 for the first week in a garden beneath some apple- 

 trees. At first they were as merry as if it had been 

 a picnic ; but soon afterwards heavy rain caused 

 much discomfort, for they were absolutely without 

 shelter. 



In Captain Fitz Roy's excellent account of the 

 earthquake, it is said that two explosions, one like 

 a column of smoke and another like the blowing of 

 a great whale, were seen in the bay. The water 

 also appeared everywhere to be boiling ; and it 

 "became black, and exhaled a most disagreeable 

 sulphureous smell." These latter circumstances 



